getting a LOR from a retired/former prof?

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

Hey, everyone. I have a situation and I wasn't sure exactly how this worked. Basically, I'm graduating this year with my bachelor's and I was going to be applying to PhD programs beginning next Fall (2013). My program has about 4 applied linguists and 2 theoretical linguists (I plan to apply to theoretical programs) and the 2 theoretical linguists know my work very well and offered to write me very good LORs. Anyway, I recently decided that I might delay my plans and apply to PhD programs for the following Fall (2014). I want a year to really to try to figure out exactly what I want to do and to really enhance my re'sume'.

Now, here is the problem: 1 of the 2 theoretical linguist professors at my university is retiring this year. I'm sure he'd still be willing to write me a letter a year from now. He really likes me as a student. But I don't know if that would be allowed or exactly how they would go about that. I know that most applications require an email and contact info from the professor so that they can upload their LOR. Would he still have his school email account? There's no way they'd accept an LOR from some GMAIL account claiming to be a retired linguist. And would they accept a LOR from him if he isn't currently a professor?

[emmm]

I don't see why they WOULDN'T accept an LOR from his personal email post-retirement. Why would they doubt he is who he says he is? It would still be something they could easily verify, IF they had any concerns.

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

I don't see why they WOULDN'T accept an LOR from his personal email post-retirement. Why would they doubt he is who he says he is? It would still be something they could easily verify, IF they had any concerns.

Yeah, I just didn't know if they needed like a certifiable educational email address. But I don't see why he wouldn't still have that email address.